The Once and Future King
by Chaotic Inverse
Summary: In which Blaine is Merlin who has searched thousands of years for Arthur due to a curse cast before his death. Kurt is the long spoken of   and unknown to him   King Arthur and Brittany is the clueless and insane, Lady of the Lake.


**Author's note: **I spent the entire day writing and when I write if I don't at least finish something I get a little stir-crazy so I just decided to write up this snippet.

Chopping up of Arthurian legend.

Holy crap, this was supposed to be short. And it's 7,000 words and 18 pages. Geeze.

-line break-

_Once upon a time…_

His name is Blaine this time. His name is Blaine and he is nothing like his true self, his old self. He is small with dark hair and hazel eyes, he cannot command a room (or an army) with a mere look. His blood (his all but faded Cambion blood, and he is not sure if that is a curse or a blessing. He is not much sure of these kind of things anymore) carries the name of emrys though his name is Anderson. His form stays the same and if this life has any magic at all he doesn't know, even if all his previous ones did.

He contributes these differences to the changing, much more progressive, times. This century and the one before it are more different than any he has ever seen in nearly all his lives.

Blaine for all purposes is normal, is as normal as he can manage to be though sometimes his eyes are too wise and his words are too sharp for an average child. Children, other children can sense these differences in the way that only children can. And this lifetime Blaine doesn't have power or strength, he cannot use spells or charms to stop them.

It is just Blaine.

And just Blaine, tiny little fourteen year old Blaine, isn't enough against an entire school full of people who either hate him or don't care at all.

There is a routine to every life, every single one he's lived. The first one he remembers is the one he thinks of as his original life though there could have been thousands before even that one. It is the one that everyone knows; A sword of power, a boy-king, a wizard-mentor, loyal knights, a lady of a lake and the one who went against Camelot. The ones after that are blurs of memories, some faded with time and others still rich with life long lived past..

In every life he meets someone from his past, whether it be the King's knights, Mordred in all his various incarnations or just the lady of the lake. Very rarely does he ever met Arthur, in only two lives has he seen his king again and the last one was nearly two hundred years ago.

The one he meets most often is the Lady of the Lake.

Sometimes she is a friend, sometimes she is an enemy and once she was even a lover though they both pretend that that lonely cold drunken night never happened. (at least it hasn't in this life time) Over the years they've developed a theory for why they meet the most often: She is the one who sets the story in motion and he is the one who brings it to course. They are also the only two who in thousands of years has remembered, occasionally Mordred has come close but thankfully whatever spell has been cast has remained still.

Her name is Brittany in this lifetime. She is blonde and kind, with a pretty smile and a intelligent mind hiding in wait. She is also insane in this life; whether it is her body, her mind or just her heart but something has not been able to stay right. (from despair, from anger, from so many years?) If she remembers then she's never said so and this is the first time he feels really alone.

It's okay though because he's always alone in the end, as it has always been, and Blaine is no different.

-line break-

His job is to find Arthur. His job has always been to find and watch over Arthur.

He hasn't found the true Arthur yet.

-line break-

Blaine reads the stories they write about him, about Camelot. It's stupid, it's pointless but he just can't stop. Wes and David no longer question it and his family has long ago accepted that some things about their son-brother they just won't understand.

Most of the stories get it wrong. Some get it so wrong or twist the truth so far that he can only shake his head and hide a laugh.

For one he was not an old man when he met Arthur. Arthur was in fact two years older and an infuriating brat who still needed to learn his place. Only through many years of training did he become ready to have the _potential _to become King.

The second was that Viviane hadn't been his lover but a friend, a dear friend who'd nearly trapped him forever while Camelot rotted away. By the time he'd woken up everyone he loved had been dead and gone, including his King.

He reads about them because it's the only connection he has until he dies and finds someone again.

- _line break-_

"You are ridiculous." Blaine says taking a sip of his coffee. It's possibly the best modern invention he's ever tasted and he's quickly become addicted to it.

Despite not remembering, or not telling him that she remembers, he and Brittany have become friends in this life. They met through dance class and sometimes when he sees Brittany dance he remember flashes of battles and quick, spiraling moves. Sometimes.

Brittany smiles shy, uncharacteristic for both her and the lady. "It's not that weird is it?"

_Yes, yes it is. _In all their years the lady has only taken one lover and they both pretend that night never happened. Brittany seems to be making up for her abstinence in her previous lives by dating as many boys as she can. The newest one had been a 'robot' named Artie and she's quickly moved on after that one ended.

She's never dated a girl before but who is he to stand in the way of her happiness? "If she treats you badly then I'll cast a spell on her." He says jokingly but they both know he's only half joking or rather wishes he wasn't.

He still doesn't know why his magic has left him. It had been the one of the few constants in all others.

It's as if this new life is against him. It's taken away his magic and the memories of his only true friend. It's given him a life where he's had to run away from beatings and taunts. And in all his lives he's never run away. Not from battles and witches, not from warriors and dragons.

This life is just the difference.

Brittany laughs and Blaine can see that she's happy again. Brittany is the only thing he has left and even if he doesn't really like Santana, he'll do anything to keep her happy.

"You should come see New Directions." She suggests.

"I don't think they'd like competition to see them." He doesn't really like meeting new people even though it's a necessary interaction. Even without the gift of sight like the Lady, he just knows that meeting New Directions will not go over well.

"Please Blaine?" Memories or not his lady knew just how to get him to do anything. A smile and pleading big eyes. Curse that woman. "We don't even have a setlist yet and neither do you. Besides I told Mike how I had another male-dancer friend and he wants to meet you."

Blaine carefully considered this. He didn't get to dance very much at least nothing that anyone outside the warblers would qualify as dancing. The warblers afterall, were about the final harmonized product not the flashy show that came with it.

Britt's worth the headache, right?

Blaine finished his coffee with one last sip and sat up. "If I get in trouble with either New Directions or the Warblers I hold you responsible." he said cheerfully as Brittany laughed again.

_-line break-_

They were five minutes late for New Directions and Blaine could already hear music playing. It was loud and something upbeat but it didn't sound like anything he'd heard recently.

"Wait here for a sec, okay?" Brittany paused. "Also I'm glad you're in normal clothes, you look hot in them, and not your bird clothes."

Blaine laughed. "I won't even move Britt."

Brittany poked her head back out the door. "Mr. Schue says it's cool."

_Let's just get it over with. _Blaine stepped into the room after her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'm Blaine." he greeted politely, frowning for a moment as he locked eyes with Santana. _Goddamn it. _"Santana, Artie it's nice to see you again."

Santana smirked as Brittany sat next to her. "Hobbit." she greeted dryly.

Blaine barely held back the urge to roll his eyes.

Mr. Schue smiled. "It's nice to meet you Blaine, and it's always nice to have an audience."

Brittany grinned at him. "Blaine go sit by Kurt." she instructed happily.

He stared at her and she pointed to a tall boy sitting in the back row, near a pretty African-American girl. He looked pointedly back at Brittany and back at the open seat _right next to her_ and she ushered him forward smiling.

"I'm Mercedes." The girl greeted.

He smiled charmingly at her as he sat down. "Blaine Anderson, though I guess that's kind of redundant when I just said that."

"How do you know Britt?" She asked curiously though not unkindly.

Blaine could feel his face heating up slightly. He was going to be embarrassed by this wasn't he? Rarely did people react well to the news that he took dance classes. "We were in the same dance classes when we were younger and we've been friends ever since."

"You're a dancer?" a slightly high-pitched voice says and Blaine turns him around to find himself facing the tall boy Brittany called Kurt.

_Holy fucking Excalibur. _Blaine's eyes widened in shock as he just realized who he was staring at. His skin started to sting, bits of lightning raced up and down as the magic of the spell flared for a moment.

He'd found his King. The _true _Arthur.

"Are you okay Blaine?" Mercedes and Kurt both looked concerned and he hastily nodded, trying to regain some composure.

His face started to heat up for an entirely different reason. "So-rry…um w-what did you ask?" he stuttered out.

Kurt smiled. "If you were a dancer?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah I'm a dancer, I sing too." Why did he say that? Crap, he was going to talk with Brittany. If only she still had her memories.

Mercedes grinned. "You're at the right place then."

-_line break-_

"I can't believe you." Blaine said the next day. They were at the lima bean again, their usual spot and Brittany was already eating her regular cookie.

"What did I do?" She said innocently and Blaine might have been fooled if he hadn't known her for so long.

"With Kurt." He gritted out.

Brittany frowned. "You didn't like him then?"

Blaine paused. "Britt, sweetie were you trying to _set me up_?" It was a Brittany kind of thing to do and that probably should have been his first thought. There was a very small chance that in this life she would even recognize magic.

"Yes? You're both dolphins so I thought it would work." Blaine had thought Kurt was gay but it wasn't nice to make assumptions without proof backing it up so he hadn't said anything.

"You should have told me." Blaine flopped into his chair dramatically, arms crossed.

Brittany smiled at him. "Sorry? But you do like Kurt don't you?"

"He's nice." Blaine admitted quietly, waiting impatiently as the waitress brought over his usual coffee order. He smiled at her in gratitude.

"He's hot." Brittany pointed out, grinning when Blaine started to blush. "Don't you think he's hot?"

Blaine sighed, resisting the urge to just bury his head in his arms and ignore the blonde. "He is very attractive-looking."

"And really smart, he always gets good grades and he helps me with my homework when Santana can't."

He laughed. "Why are you trying to set me up?"

Brittany took a sip of her drink-hot chocolate, not coffee-before answering. "I want you to be happy and I want Kurt to be happy. I think you would make each other really happy."

"I can't speak for Kurt but I am very happy." No, he wasn't. He was lonely and tired, still carrying the weight of every other life and their troubles. But he couldn't tell Britt that because she'd gone and left him alone, she'd been the one to not remember.

"You're lying." she accused.

He hummed. "I'm really not and besides I don't think I made a very good impression on him anyway."

He'd been nervous, from not only the magic coming to the surface of his skin and from being so near his King. His King who know longer looked like the man he remembered. Gone was the dark brown, almost black hair and sharp green-gold eyes, he still had the height but he was skinner now, more slender-looking.

And Blaine was still attracted to him, he'd never found anyone who caused quiet the same response as his King but they weren't the same person. His King was Arthur and Kurt was just Kurt. Maybe if Blaine had found him in more lives, better lives, then things might have changed but for now nothing could happen. Blaine had only stayed the same by constantly living; every death was followed instantly by a new life. Each time a blade or a gun (or sometimes, though unlikely old age) killed him he was subsequently being born in some different part of the world by his new mother.

Who was to even say that Kurt would like him? Just because he was gay and because they'd had a bond a very long time ago, so long that only Blaine and the lady remembered. Even in this lifetime it seemed his King was out of his league.

Blaine might have asked him out, because on the outside he could see no reason not to. Kurt was apparently very smart and to deal with Brittany on a frequent basis meant he was also patient and kind. But he hadn't seen any sign of recognition in Kurt's strange but pretty blue-green eyes and he knew how this story would end.

Afterall he'd already lived it, twice now. Three times if you counted the original.

" I think he liked you." Brittany said helpfully, pulling him out of his morose thoughts.

Blaine laughed, though it was bitter this time. "I kept stuttering and I barely looked at him and he barely spoke to me."

"I think he liked you." she repeated more firmly.

"We can't all have your kind of faith Brittany."

It seemed after hundreds upon hundreds of years, nearly thousand he'd have to give up. If the rest of the world lived their lives without destinies then why should he struggled with something that no longer mattered.

Camelot was long dead, the Knights' bones were still in their graves somewhere in Albion and his King was just a regular seventeen year old boy.

Maybe he could give up his search, at least for just this life.

-_line break-_

Blaine lived in a town that was in the middle of where Lima and Westerville met. It only took him forty minutes to get to either place which was useful when Brittany needed him or when the Warblers needed him.

The house was empty when he got home but that wasn't unusual in the slightest so Blaine made himself dinner and then crawled into bed worn out by the past few days.

Except he couldn't sleep, because the magic was still on his skin and he was still thinking about Kurt and about the lady.

Blaine looked at the clock and then got up out of bed, walking over to the desk in the corner of the room. He wasn't home very often so it wasn't used often. He sat down and began to write, letting his thoughts decide where to go without consciously thinking about it.

By the end of it, he had a letter in his hand, one that made him want to crumple it up and tear it to shreds.

_To whoever is doing this._

_To whoever caused all this mess but more specifically to the one who caused it in the first place; Morgane the once fair. _

_It has been over a thousand years and still this curse continues on. For it is a curse, a lasting one, despite whatever intentions you had. _

_I've lived so many lives that there are some I can no longer count and some I chose not to remember. I've been many things from a beggar to a diplomat's son, I've been a soldier to a doctor, a few times I've even been a murderer though always against those who wrong the innocent and vulnerable. _

_You told me to find him. Those were the last words you said before disappearing. I've found him three times now and I don't know if I can do this any longer. You've taken everything from me. You took my King first because that is the harshest blow and you always did like striking first and striking hard to incapacitate. Then you took away the memories of the Knights, because the next move you must make is eliminating your opponents allies. And in this life you've stricken me twice, I believe there is a term for it now-sucker punch. You took away my magic, somehow, and you've taken away the only friend I have left. _

_I've lost all my resources, anything I might have had is dead or lost. I live only to die only to live again. _

_Do you remember your lessons? I taught you to fight, to heal or to hurt, child I taught you everything you know. and though you are taking a coward's way, you know what the next move is. _

_The final one. one blow to kill someone who's already dead. _

_I'm already dead. _

_So come find me. _

_-M.E. _

Sometimes the truth hurts.

-_line break-_

Despite his hesitation and slight refusal his lady gave him Kurt's number, and a week later when she found out that Blaine hadn't texted or talked to Kurt, she gave Kurt Blaine's number.

Kurt was clearly a lot more bold than Blaine, an Arthur trait he suspected, because that same day they started texting.

It was slow to develop and they usually only talked about casual, shallow things, like who did what in glee club and what they were planning on doing later.

Things changed a month later when he got a call from a frantic Kurt. It was during Warbler practice and usually you weren't supposed to have your phone on but Blaine always kept his on vibrate in case of an emergency. Blaine only answered because Kurt hadn't called him yet once in their phone-friendship and he thought it might be important.

It was.

"-Blaine? Oh thank gaga you answered."

"Kurt? What's wrong?" he asked lowly, trying not to be overheard.

"Brittany came over to my house after school and she's crying. She won't tell me what's wrong but she says she wants you." Kurt sounded uncomfortable and worried. "I didn't know what to do so I thought I should call you."

Blaine glanced over at Wes and David who still hadn't noticed. "Tell her I'll be there in an hour." It usually took near two hours to get to Lima from Westerville but it was Brittany.

"She's says to hurry."

"Tell her forty-five."

_-line break-_

Finn Hudson's face was confused when he opened the door and Blaine merely pushed his way through without saying a word. Civilities and Pleasantries could be exchanged later.

A woman named Carole directed him upstairs and Blaine found Brittany and Kurt in what he guessed was Kurt's room. It looked like it suited Kurt at least though Blaine couldn't say how he knew that.

Brittany clung to him when he gently sat down on Kurt's bed. "Hey Britt. What's wrong?"

Brittany sniffled into his blazer, her face pressed against his neck. "Santana and I broke up."

Blaine felt himself freeze and his eyes narrowed. _Magic or not, he was kicking Santana's ass. _"I'm sorry Britt, I'm really sorry."

"I broke up with her." Brittany continued and he glanced over at Kurt who looked momentarily shocked and then shrugged helplessly.

She wouldn't have broken up with Santana without a reason, he knew that much. He knew that Brittany might have loved her, because Brittany loved everyone. It was just her nature.

Blaine paused, "Want me to tell you a story to take your mind off of it?" he asked quietly and felt Britt nod against his neck.

He looked over at Kurt who'd settled on the bed, on the other side of the blonde but now wasn't the time to be self-conscious. "Once upon a time there was a boy who was supposed to be king." his voice was quiet, tone soft and calm as he told Brittany the same story he'd told her years and years before.

"He was a spoiled and bratty child but the court held the belief that he'd mature with age and become the king they desired so."

He could feel Kurt's eyes on him and Blaine fought off the irony as he told the man his own life story. "But the boy's father died while he was still but a child and soon the he became the boy-king."

Blaine smiled. "He was cruel and horrible and refused to listen to the thoughts of others. Finally the members of his council, still left over from his father, sent forth for a tutor. The tutor in turn came with his own protégé and instructed him to teach the boy to become king."

'_He looked at his master and then back at the cruel boy-king in disgust. "No matter what they think, I know he'll never be King."' _

"It was hate on first sight. The boy-king didn't like being ordered around by someone younger than him and the protégé couldn't stand his attitude at all. They spent months and months fighting, sometimes even physically fighting."

"_He hit me." the boy-king snapped out angrily, hand touching his bruised cheek. _

_He frowned as his master started to look disappointed. "You wanted me to teach him, did you not?"_

"Years passed and slowly their barriers came down, because in the end they were all each other had in a lonely castle. When the boy-king was near one and twenty only then did he seem ready to become King."

"_You know you don't have to do it." They liked going by the hill for training and this was the place he'd expected Arthur to run after the council had told him the news. _

_Arthur stared out at the lake down below, eyes solemn. "Yes, I do. This has been what we've spent the last decade training for. And…I think-no I know I want to do this. I just don't know if I can."_

_The protégé pushed him gently. "I know you can." he hesitated. "My King."_

"Soon after the King was to become engaged which was accustomed at that time and the protégé wondered why his heart kept hurting whenever he thought about his King's upcoming marriage. It was only at the wedding, much different from the ones now, that he realized he was in love with his King and had been for years."

Blaine firmly did not look at Kurt. "So the protégé left because he couldn't stand it and couldn't stand his King's beloved bride."

"_What do you mean you're leaving?"_

_He paused, staring at his King still dressed in wedding clothes and crown bright upon his head. "You've learned everything I could have taught you and now it's my time to learn and experience new things."_

"_But to leave for two years." The King hesitated and he waited patiently for the words he knew his King couldn't say. 'I need you, I want you to stay.' "Isn't that a bit much?"_

_The words that would never come. "No, not really. When I come back I'll be fit to be a wizard and then we'll see who's the better fighter."_

_It was quiet as he finished packing and he looked up to find the King still staring at him. _

"_Stay." The words were a command and not a request. In all the years they'd been friends, he'd never once followed the boy-king's command and he wouldn't start now. _

"_Not everything is about you."_

"Things had changed greatly by the time he'd come back. The King's kingdom had grown and the council had been replaced by a table of loyal knights, almost like brothers. The protégé had changed too and he cast away his previous name, calling himself instead Merlin."

Kurt gasped quietly and Blaine gave him a small smile. "Merlin brought his own protégé with him, a girl who would become a powerful magician named Morgane."

_The doors opened with a loud clang and the knights jumped to their feet as the King slowly rose to his. The once protégé stepped in and smiled slowly. He bowed. "My King." he greeted politely. _

_The King started to speak and he cut him off. "My name is Merlin Emrys and this is my student Morgane Le Fey. We offer our services in return for a place in your kingdom."_

_Arthur-The king's stare was weighted and at last he nodded. "Request granted."_

"What happened next?" Brittany asked sleepily. She was no longer resting against Blaine's neck but his stomach. Blaine was glad she wasn't crying anymore.

"You know this Britt." He'd told her hundreds of times and yet she still couldn't remember.

"Tell Kurt what happened next."

"The friendship between the King and Merlin was strained, by distance and time but slowly they grew close again. For years there was peace in the kingdom but that quickly changed when Morgane turned eight and ten. She should have been married off sooner but Merlin had pleaded to the Kurt's, saying that she needed time to learn and that there was no rush. Finally Arthur had grown fed up with his friend's excuses and married her off to one of his knights. After that point they refused to speak to each other for ten years until one day."

Brittany smiled. "The Lady of the Lake."

He nodded. "Yes Britt, it begins with the lady."

_Merlin had been walking in the woods. The man who worked at the apothecary had run out of herbs and Merlin unlike so many others was not afraid of the woods or what might lie in wait. _

_The last herb was near a Lake, it was near the borders of Avalon and not fearing sea serpents Merlin strolled toward it. Suddenly a woman appeared. She was near the essence of light. A woman so bright and beautiful that it hurt to look at her. Her hair was the fairest he'd ever seen and her eyes were the shade of the sky. She demanded to be taken to The Heir of Pendragon, the King of Camelot, "He is the King. He is the one who must possess Excalibur." _

_Merlin refused outright. For his King was a good and brave man but he was just a man and just an ordinary King. Everyone had known of Excalibur who ever could successfully wield it would be the ruler of the land. _

"They talked and fought until at last he agreed to bring her to Camelot and she would talk to the King. He gave her his spare clothes and they set back for Camelot. She had no name so he named her himself, Viviane."

"The King thought she was insane and almost threw her in the dungeon until Merlin at last admitted that part of what she said was true. And so they went back to that Lake near Avalon and true to her word The Heir of Pendragon pulled the sword out of the stone."

"Don't forget Mordred." Brittany reminded him and Blaine laughed quietly. "It's hard to forget Mordred."

Kurt frowned. "Mordred? It sounds familiar."

Blaine frowned himself. "It should."

"After finding the Sword Camelot was prosperous but it couldn't last. The King would find an enemy in his own relative, his son. You see while it is famous that his bride Guinevere had an affair with the Good Knight Lancelot, The King had one known affair himself. The affair was with Morgane and she birthed him an illegitimate son."

"_I cannot believe you." Merlin hissed. "You haven't changed from the first day I met you."_

_The King frowned. "Watch your place, Merlin."_

_He shook his head. "No, no I won't watch my place. I've watched my place and yours for years and I cannot stand by any longer. You cannot act like this, you are becoming a twisted man." _

_His King stepped toward him and Merlin moved closer. "Are you going to hit me, my king?" he sneered out. "Will you attack your longest and most beloved-friend?"_

"_I don't need to hit you to break you." the King muttered, grabbing hold of his jaw roughly. Merlin could feel his heart pounding in his chest. They were too close. To close together and he tried to move away but the taller man wouldn't let go. "I don't want to break you, old friend, but you must know your place."_

_He was tired of never being good enough, not in the court's eyes or Arthur's, not even in his own. "My place is no longer by your side." he said, jerking himself away. "I cannot stay in Camelot if it is led by a capriciously cruel man." _

"_What are you saying?"_

"_I am saying you are no longer my King and Camelot is no longer my home." he hesitated and then let the final piece drop. "Arthur." From that night at the hill until this moment he'd honored and respected his King by calling him by his title instead of treating him as an equal. But now there was nothing left to honor. _

"Merlin left soon after and lived in the woods, away from any Kingdoms and people to bother him. Even more years passed and Morgane, filled with vengeance and bitterness taught her son the same. When he was old enough Mordred challenged Arthur, a bit before Viviane came to see Merlin."

"_This is your home old friend?" They'd seen each other over the years but Viviane rarely left Camelot and Merlin had sworn to never set foot in it. _

"_Indeed, though it's modest it is the best I can do." He smiled at her. He was older now, nearing fifty which was significantly old for the man of his time. His hair was starting to grey and he was not as keen as he once was. _

"_What did you want my lady?" Despite naming her, he rarely called her Viviane. Even with her title she would always be the Lady of the Lake to him. _

"_I need your help." Viviane looked at him, with wide pleading eyes. "Please help me Merlin Emrys."_

"Because he was trusting and foolish Merlin tried to help his friend and she be-spelled him into a tree where he would sleep for eternity. Later he would learn that Morgane through lying and deceit had tricked her into helping, for the better good of Camelot."

He could hear Brittany snoring softly and at once he realized he didn't need to country but he wanted to. He _needed _to finish this and Kurt needed to be the one to hear it.

"He awoke soon after but by that time the Battle of Camlann, the battle where Arthur and Mordred both fell had already been fought and the once famed country of Camelot was in ruins. Nearly all of the nights were dead and so was Guinevere, she'd killed herself out of guilt and loss from both her lover and her King. Still there was one left alive."

"_Look at what you've done." Merlin spat out sharply, coming upon his old student in the ruins of Camelot. Morgane's dress was stained with blood and her eyes had dark circles surrounding them, they stood out from her too pale skin. _

_Morgane smiled wickedly at him. "Look at what I've done? What about you? If you had just helped me escape then none of this would have been necessary."_

"_You killed the King and destroyed Camelot-"_

_She cut him off, snarling wildly. "It's always The King with you, even after he's cast you aside and you in turn relinquish him. He's still near your old heart, isn't he dear mentor?"_

_Merlin shook his head. " I keep near me the man he once was, through your mechanisms you've destroyed a good man."_

_She smirked again. "Jealous mentor? I've done much more than you. I've laid with the one you love and gave him something you could not, I took away your beloved friend and taught her to betray you, I even destroyed your true home and what have you done in all that time? Find a useless blade and train a pathetic man."_

"_I should have never taken you in." He said, mind reflecting back to that small eight year old child. The one who was hungry and cold but still had a spark of defiance in her eyes, the one he could sense that magic coming from. _

_If only…_

"_You should have never messed with me."_

"The two fought, both pushed on by grief and loss and anger at each other for everything that had happened. They only stopped because they were both close to death, Merlin more so due to his old age and a lack of caring, for he had nothing left."

_Morgane panted heavily as she clutching at her rapidly bleeding side. "I am going to curse you Merlin Emrys, I am going to make you suffer for years as I have."_

"_Morgane." he warned and she snapped a blast of energy near him. _

"_From this day on you will live and die, this is your cycle and those that fought for Camelot. I curse thee and the knights of Camelot, of the traitor Vivaine, of poor lady Guinevere and even I curse Mordred for dying on me."_

_The air was heating up and Merlin felt the ground start to shake. He had no time to stop this, the choice would only belong to Morgane. "Stop this! You can make things right!" he shouted desperately but she shook her head, eyes dark as night. _

"_You must find the true King as you once found him Excalibur. Until then you cannot truly die and you cannot truly live." She smiled wickedly at him. "That is my curse upon you, my once mentor."_

_Merlin screamed at her as she started to disappear, as fire started to burn at what was left of Camelot. He threw as much of his magic as he could at her before she disappeared, fading out of existence for the time. _

_The wizard fell to his knees, amongst the ruins of the once great city and waited for the fire to come. _

_For there was nothing left. _

"And so Merlin continues to search for Arthur, for his King throughout all of time." Blaine finished and then looked up to find Kurt staring at him with something a bit like awe.

"I take it you liked the story?" he asked, wryly.

Kurt flushed, "it was interesting." he conceded. "Though how did you know that Brittany would like it?"

He shrugged. "It's the story I always tell her."

Kurt glanced over at the sleeping Brittany and then back at Blaine. "Do you want to watch a movie while she sleeps?" he tapped his fingers almost nervously but Kurt Hummel did not get nervous. "It seems cruel to wake her up so soon."

Blaine smiled widely at him. "I'd like that." It would help take away the somber mood. He'd never really realized how depressing his history was until he told other people.

He let Kurt pick the movie as he couldn't really move and at last they settled back in to watch it. A few minutes in, Kurt looked over at him shyly. "I have a question about your story and I realize it's rather stupid but.."

Figures he'd be curious about his own history.

He smiled. "Go ahead and ask."

"If Merlin hated Arthur then why did he bother searching for him? Why spend every life looking for someone like that?" Kurt rushed out and Blaine stared into blue-green eyes, eyes that looked almost green-gold for a second, just a second.

"Because." Blaine started but he couldn't get the words out of his throat. "Because when you love someone, you love them despite what they've done and…(_'I'_) Merlin, still loved Arthur through it all, so he searches for the good man he once was and not what he was turned into by Morgane's spell."

Kurt considered this and then looked surprised. "She put him under a spell?"

Blaine nodded. "The King was unusually loyal despite his stubborn nature and occasional arrogance, he would never have willingly strayed from his wife. Morgane, bitter and seeking revenge enchanted him with a spell and seduced him."

"Oh." Kurt's voice was flat, almost hollow.

They quickly got back to the movie, occasionally making comments but not saying much. Kurt paused it halfway through. "Blaine?"

"Yes Kurt?"

"Did Merlin ever find anyone?" _Did he break the curse?_

Should he tell him the truth? Surely if Kurt couldn't remember then it must have been for a reason.

"Throughout the years he met nearly everyone else involved, at times he met friends-the Knights and the lady and at other times he met enemies-Mordred and Guinevere. The only one who ever remembered was the lady of the lake and at first they fought but through time he forgave her and their bond was restored."

Kurt hesitated. "Blaine, did Merlin ever find Arthur?" _Did it end happily?_

Sometimes the truth hurts. "In all his years he found his King only three times. The first was a mere hundred years later and they grew to be close friends, almost like brothers but still it did not break the spell because even though he was Arthur he was not someone who could become King. The second time was quite a bit of years later and Arthur was happy, more happy than Merlin had thought he'd ever seen him be. He had a beautiful wife and a loving family and suddenly Merlin thought of the man he used to be, of the good King he'd once been."

"He didn't even talk to him did he." Kurt said dryly, almost sadly.

"No, not even once though he made sure that his former and future King would and did have a good life."

"This isn't exactly a very happy story and all the history." Kurt pointed out. "I can't imagine why Brittany likes it."

Blaine shrugged. "Sometimes life and history don't end happily."

Kurt considered this and then smiled triumphantly. "What about the third time? You said he met Arthur three times. That one must have ended happily?"

The shorter boy laughed, quietly so he didn't wake up Brittany. "Not exactly. The third time he met Arthur is his most recent. It's different but it's a different world now."

"How is it different?"

"For one, this Arthur is the true King, the one that Merlin's been searching for all these years, the one who will do something great… and yet he still can't remember. And at first Merlin was afraid because fear is one thing that never leaves you, no matter your age or experience."

Kurt's hand is coming closer to his and Blaine isn't focusing on the movie anymore at all. Not even a bit. "Why was he afraid?" he asks quietly, staring at Blaine with such an intensity that he wants to look away but he cant.

_Know your place._

"Because once again Arthur was still much too good for him but Merlin realized that he would always think like that. Because this boy was Arthur but he wasn't at the same time, because he was his own person and Merlin wasn't sure if he could love someone not Arthur."

Kurt holds his hand and Blaine can't focus anymore, Kurt's hands are soft and smooth and strong somehow. "Blaine you can't leave off there."

Blaine shook his head slightly, coming out his daze and not noticing Kurt's smile. "Oh, right. Well Merlin wasn't sure but he thought that he could because he wasn't exactly Merlin anywhere. He was different because of all the lives he'd lived and Arthur was different but they still loved each other _(hopefully) _and nothing could change that (_I hope this works out._)"

"Does it work out happily?" Kurt's leaning closer to him and Blaine can feel himself moving close too. Is this too fast? _It's been over a thousand years_. Is it too slow?

He smiled at him, _I can do this._ "I think it does." he hopes that Morgane will give him this, that he will let himself have this, this strange and beautiful boy who he once knew.

And then somehow he's closing the gap between them and there is electricity and heat but it's for all the right reasons now.

For once Blaine does not think about a king who is now little more than a myth. He does not think about a wizard who left or a queen who strayed. He does not think about loyal knights and un-loyal friends and apprentices. He does not think about the consequences of _this, _does not think about if he's really him and if Kurt's really Kurt.

He does not think about anything but this moment. The moment he's finally gotten after thousands of years.

He and Kurt have all the time in the world.

_the end. _


End file.
